Portable tank assembly for breathing apparatus



Dec. 16, 1969 L JANSSQN ET AL 3,483,865

PORTABLE TANK ASSEMBLY FOR BREATHING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 14, 1966 INVENTORS BERNT LJANSSON JON A. ARNELL Byczsws Z ATTORNEYS 3,483,865 PORTABLE TANK ASSEMBLY FOR BREATHING APPARATUS Bernt Inge Jansson and Jon Arne Arnell, Lidingo, Sweden, assignors to Aga Aktiebolag, Lidingo, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Dec. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 601,785 Claims priority, application Sweden, Dec. 23, 1965, 16,715/ 65 Int. Cl. A61h 31/00; A61m 16/00; A621) 7/02 US. Cl. 128142 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable tank assembly comprising a pair of pressure tanks connected together as a unit with their necks generally parallel and adjacent to each other. A connecting unit connects the interior of the two tanks and has attached thereto a shut-off valve and a coupling member for connection to a mask. A bracket includes a pair of shanks detachably connected to the necks and connected together by a cross piece. The bracket is arranged to surround the necks and the cross piece to protect the same.

The invention relates to a portable tank assembly for breathing apparatus comprising a pair of pressure gas tanks forming a unit and arranged with the neck portions thereof adjacent each other and provided with a connectin g unit for interconnecting the tanks.

Tank assemblies of this type are previously known. They are normally placed on the wearers back and are connected through tubes to a breathing mask via a unit comprising a pressure-reducing valve and possibly a release member tor supplementary air as well as a fitting for connection to an additional breathing mask.

When the tanks are being used, there is danger for damage to them and it is therefore of importance that the details connected thereto are located so as to be protected against such damage.

The use of an assembly having two tanks mounted to form a portable unit has the the advantage that only one shutoff valve is required, to which both tanks can be connected. However, in previously known constructions the location of the sensitive portions was often such as to imply great risk of damage thereto.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tank assembly which is free from the said disadvantages and which is easily portable by hand, the assembly being characterized by a bracket which is attached around the lower parts of the necks of the tanks and surrounds the upper parts of said necks as well as the connecting unit.

An embodiment is shown on the drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a rearward view of a tank unit and FIG. 2 a section taken on line H of FIG. 1.

The tank unit comprises a pair of tanks 1 and 2 of cylindrical shape, which are held together by means of bands 3 and 4 and tensioning members 5 and 6, whereby the tanks form a firm mechanical unit.

On the neck of the tank 1 there is mounted a shank 7 of a bracket comprising a pair of shanks 7 and 8 and a cross piece 9. The other shank 8 is mounted on the neck of the tank 2.

Connected to the tanks is a connecting unit 10 for connecting the tanks with each other and with a breathnited States Patent 0 ice ing mask. The connecting unit 10 is mounted on the tank 2, and the tank 1 is connected thereto through a tube 11 which is connected to the tank at fitting 11a. A shutoff valve is provided, which can be controlled by means of a wheel 12. The connecting unit has a coupling member facing towards the interior of the bracket and by means of which a breathing mask as well as related details can be connected to the tank.

Through the shown arrangement of the bracket as surrounding both the tube 11 and the connecting unit 10, these members are protected against outward action. The arrangement of the coupling member 13 furthermore provides for a protected location of this portion of the breathing apparatus between the shanks of the bracket.

We claim:

1. A portable tank assembly for a breathing apparatus having a pair of pressure tanks forming a unit and arranged with their necks adjacent and generally parallel to each other, each said neck having an inner part adjacent the main part of the tank, and an outer part connected to the inner part and on the side thereof away from the tank, said outer part including a fitting connected to a means for delivering fluid from the tanks, a connecting means mounted on the said outer parts of the necks of the two tanks for interconnecting the interiors of the two tanks, a bracket surrounding the connecting means and the necks of the tanks and having a pair of generally parallel shanks, one shank adjacent each neck, said shanks being connected together by a cross piece, the ends of the shanks remote from the cross piece detachably connected to said inner parts of their respective necks, said cross piece and at least the part of said shanks adjacent the cross piece having a U-shaped cross-section.

2. Tank assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting unit has a coupling member facing towards the interior of the bracket for connection to a coupling unit forming part of a breathing apparatus.

3. Tank assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that a shut-off valve is mounted on the connecting unit.

4. A tank assembly accordng to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting means includes a connecting unit mounted on the outer part of the neck of one of the tanks and includnig a tube coupling the connecting unit to the outer part of the other tank.

5. Tank assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the tube is arranged parallel to the shanks and to the cross piece inside of the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,815,750 12/1957 Mercer 128147 3,195,538 7/1965 Galeazzi 128147 FOREIGN PATENTS 354,424 10/ 1904 France. 927,298 4/ 1947 France. 1,056,938 5/1959 Germany.

CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

